Dangerously Underestimated
by desertredwolf
Summary: Katie Bell, pureblood Gryffindor, is tired of the restrictions her parents have placed on her. She decides to break away during her fourth year. Sass, beauty, wit, and bravery — nothing can stand in her way. She quickly becomes one dangerous witch that no one should ever underestimate. [A series of loosely connected oneshots.]


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to respective owners.**

* * *

 **Words of Wisdom**

"Are you sure we're alone in here?"

Katie Bell glanced around the opulent Prefect's bathroom. She had never been in here before and, needless to say, she was incredibly impressed.

The walls were lined with beautiful stained glass windows, each depicting a different magical scene. Katie dropped her bag by the door and cautiously walked the edge of the room, appreciating the moving art. Halfway through her journey, she stopped and lingered on one — the particular window showed a sorceress petting a unicorn in a forest.

Underneath another window, this one portrayed a sleeping mermaid on a rock, there was a small stack of fluffy towels on a bench. While the windows were mesmerizing, the main attraction of the room was the swimming pool-sized bathtub. Ornate golden faucets lined one of the edges.

She let her fingers dance across the spouts. It was a long shot, but Katie almost hoped that she would be selected as a prefect the following year — if only so she could officially be in this room.

"I'm hurt that you doubt me, Bell," her accidental partner-in-crime for the night, Fred Weasley, teased.

Katie glared at him. It was only the first day of the school year and it already hadn't gone her way. The last thing she needed was to be caught out-of-bounds after curfew.

"Seriously, Fred," she snapped, anxiety laced her voice. "Are we alone or not?"

"Whoa!" Fred said, raising his arms in surrender. "Yeah, we're alone. And besides, George is outside, keeping watch."

Katie continued to stare at him uncertainly. Fred raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Or are you afraid this little late-night rendezvous will soil your reputation?" he replied roguishly.

She didn't bother responding and just sent him a scathing glare.

Silence fell over their conversation. Katie didn't want to be the first person to start talking. If she did, she might say something she would regret. Instead, she sat at the edge of the pool, doing her best to ignore Fred's fidgeting.

Although, try as they might, a Weasley twin can only stay quiet for so long.

"So, uh… What happened at breakfast?" Fred asked nervously.

Katie swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. She jumped to her feet and walked towards the entrance of the bathroom. Picking her school bag up off the ground, she roughly flipped it open and yanked a piece of parchment out.

"Read it," she choked out, her eyes now stinging with tears. Angrily wiping her eyes with one hand, she held out the parchment with the other. Her heart pounded furiously as Fred took the parchment and began to silently read it.

She watched as his face grew more and more red — _Like a tomato_ , she thought with grim amusement — the further he got in the letter.

"Your mother wrote that?" he growled. "How— What—"

"My _mother_ ," Katie said stiffly, "believes that my behavior is no longer acceptable for a pureblood witch. She desires a daughter that learns household charms — _not_ the latest Chaser maneuvers. She has always wanted a daughter that is prim and proper."

Fred let out a long, low whistle.

"That's—" he began.

"—not fair?" Katie supplied humorlessly. "Ridiculous? That there are plenty of respectable, pureblood witches who play Quidditch? They wanted more kids; my parents, that is. Fred, I'm the only one they're going to get. And I'm a bloody disappointment."

"What are you going to do?" Fred asked, unnaturally subdued.

"You read the letter, Fred," Katie said. "There's nothing to do. It's comply with their wishes or be disowned."

Fred winced. The act of being disowned was not something to be taken lightly amongst pureblood families. It carried heavy repercussions for inheritances and other titles.

"What about your dad?" Fred questioned. "Could he do something?"

Katie shook her head. She had thought of that after finishing the letter earlier in the morning, but had quickly dismissed the thought.

"It's both of them," Katie explained tiredly. "If my mother wants something, especially something big like this, my father is supporting her. I hate it, but I've got to change."

"But I like the way you are now," her favorite Weasley twin muttered.

"I like me the way I am, too," Katie responded with a grin.

"Me, too!" a third voice piped up.

"AHH!" Katie shrieked, startled at the sudden intrusion. Fred yelped in surprise and jumped a foot in the air.

Materializing next to the two Gryffindors was Moaning Myrtle. They stared blankly at the young ghost, who quickly switched moods from happy to severely depressed.

"Oh, sure!" Myrtle wailed. "Make fun of the dead girl! I can't help it. I just wanted to speak to you both! No one _ever_ talks to me. Except Harry."

At the mention of the famous Gryffindor, Myrtle blushed — _Well, as much as a ghost can blush_ , Katie thought.

"Harry talks to you?" Fred sniggered. Katie elbowed him in the ribs, but it was too late.

"He's nice to me! Unlike _some_ people," Myrtle sobbed. The ghost flew up into the air and dove into the pool, water splashing upward and soaking the nearby towels. Presumably, Myrtle disappeared into the pipes.

The two students watched the water settle in the pool, before speaking.

"Well, nothing like death to put life in perspective," Katie said sarcastically.

Fred choked back a laugh, his eyes watering in mirth. The two then looked at one another and broke down into loud laughter. The tension in the room eased.

"You want my advice, Bell?" he asked growing serious once again.

"What? I should be myself?" Katie replied cheekily.

Fred rolled his eyes. "That goes without saying."

"Okay, then what?" she questioned.

Fred looked her in the eye, a mad grin on his face.

"Give 'em hell."

It took a moment for his statement to sink in, but a grin that matched his slowly crossed Katie's face, as well.

* * *

Prompt ( _Tomato Day — The Golden Snitch_ ): Grab a box of Romano tomatoes and wash them. Write a story set in the Prefect's bathroom. [10 points]

Bonus prompts [5 points each]: (word) tomato, (word) soil, (object) towel, (dialogue) "Are you sure we're alone in here?", (character) Moaning Myrtle.

Castelobruxo / South

Total points: 35

 **Word count (not including title and author's notes): 981**


End file.
